Global events and international developments affecting markets.
Reporting on international affairs, geopolitical developments, and global economic trends. This category connects world events to their potential impact on financial markets, trade flows, and investor risk perception.
3,945 total articles
The United States, joined by Gulf partners, circulated a United Nations Security Council resolution demanding Iran stop attacks and the planting of mines in the Strait of Hormuz. Diplomats said Russia and China raised substantive objections during a closed-door review and are expected to block the measure with vetoes, complicating U.S. diplomatic a…
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on May 7 that Russia's decision to declare a short ceasefire for World War Two commemorations exposed what he called the 'strange and inappropriate' logic of Russian leaders. He urged the United States to take a 'fair and strong stance' against what he described as an aggressive Russia, while Ukraine's t…
The U.S. Department of Defense announced a plan to pull 5,000 American service members out of Germany, a move the White House attributes in part to comments by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz regarding the Iran war. The drawdown, intended to return Europe troop levels roughly to pre-2022 figures, is expected to take six to 12 months and has prompt…
The U.S. Treasury announced sanctions on Iraq's deputy oil minister, Ali Maarij Al-Bahadly, and three senior leaders of Iran-aligned militias, accusing them of facilitating the diversion of Iraqi oil to benefit the Iranian regime and its proxy militias. The measures freeze any U.S. assets of those targeted and generally prohibit Americans from enga…
Ukraine's chief negotiator, Rustem Umerov, has arrived in Miami to meet with U.S. representatives, according to a source. The move comes as U.S.-brokered peace talks with Russia have stalled, primarily over the status of the Donetsk region. Efforts earlier in the spring to secure travel by U.S. envoys to Kyiv did not materialize, and attention in W…
ASEAN foreign ministers have agreed to hold a virtual meeting with Myanmar's foreign minister in the near future, the bloc's secretary-general said, as Myanmar seeks to re-establish ties after five years of exclusion following a 2021 coup. Neighbouring states say they will condition deeper engagement on observable steps toward de-escalation, dialog…
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia continued to violate a Kyiv-proposed ceasefire that would have begun on May 6, and signaled Ukraine would keep up long-range strikes if attacks persist. Moscow has not confirmed adherence to the Kyiv proposal and both sides reported substantial drone activity and attacks on energy and military-industrial ta…
The Kremlin announced heightened security measures for President Vladimir Putin ahead of May 9 Victory Day commemorations, citing what it described as a 'terrorist threat' from Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said additional protections are customary for major holidays but are being reinforced this year. Moscow has also scaled back the Red…
The Bavarian town of Vilseck, home to Rose Barracks and a long-standing U.S. military presence, is bracing for a potential withdrawal of U.S. troops after decades of hosting American forces. Local leaders and residents warn of significant job losses, reduced business for pubs, restaurants and service providers, and a deep cultural shift for a commu…
Paraguayan President Santiago Pena, on his second visit to Taiwan as head of state, praised the bilateral relationship as rooted in democracy, freedom and practical cooperation. Speaking in Taipei after receiving an honorary doctorate, Pena said the partnership with Taiwan went beyond diplomatic formality. In Beijing, a Chinese foreign ministry spo…
Israel announced it killed a commander from Hezbollah’s elite Radwan unit in an airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburbs, marking the first attack on the Lebanese capital since a ceasefire agreed last month. The Israeli government said the strike occurred a day earlier; there was no immediate confirmation from Hezbollah. The operation has heightened …
An Israeli air strike on Wednesday night has resulted in the death of Azzam Al-Hayya, the son of Khalil Al-Hayya, who serves as Hamas’ chief negotiator in U.S.-mediated discussions over Gaza’s future, a senior Hamas official said. The killing occurred as Hamas leaders and regional mediators met in Cairo to discuss the next phase of a ceasefire plan…
Governments and health agencies across multiple countries are attempting to locate passengers who left the MV Hondius before a hantavirus outbreak aboard the vessel left it stranded off Cape Verde. Three people died and several others are suspected to have been infected with the Andean strain. Officials are coordinating evacuations, medical transfe…
A senior Taiwanese intelligence official warned that China could attempt tactical moves on the Taiwan question during U.S. President Donald Trump's upcoming visit to Beijing, while Washington has reiterated that its Taiwan policy has not changed. Taipei will monitor whether the summit leads to any reframing of U.S. commitments in exchange for Chine…
Geneva, long regarded as the European epicenter of the United Nations system, is seeing a marked reduction in the footprint of the U.N. and other international organisations. Since 2025, more than 3,000 Geneva-based posts at the U.N. and affiliated international bodies have been eliminated or moved to lower-cost locations, including roughly one-fif…
A group of Australian women and children who had been held in a camp in northeast Syria and are linked to Islamic State are en route to Australia and are expected to arrive on Thursday night. The federal government has said the returning group will receive no government assistance. Authorities have indicated some adults could face arrest and charge…
Mourners across Australia will hold vigils for a five-year-old Indigenous girl found dead after a five-day search around Alice Springs. Her disappearance and death, under the name Kumanjayi Little Baby in line with Indigenous custom, led to violent clashes in the town following the arrest of a suspect. Local communities are observing 'sorry busines…
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to meet Pope Leo at the Vatican for a private session expected to last about 30 minutes. The encounter comes as President Donald Trump has publicly criticized the pope over his stance on the Iran war and immigration, prompting responses from the Vatican and political leaders in Europe. Rubio will also meet…
U.S. President Donald Trump said a rapid end to the conflict with Iran was possible as Tehran reviewed a U.S. peace proposal that sources described as a one-page memorandum to formally end the war. Iranian officials signalled skepticism, and key U.S. demands were not included in the initial outline. The prospect of a deal sent oil prices sharply lo…
The U.S. Board of Immigration Appeals has reinstated deportation proceedings against Mohsen Mahdawi, a Columbia University student who has been at the center of controversy over pro-Palestinian protests. The board reversed a February decision by an immigration judge who had blocked the Trump administration's deportation effort. Mahdawi's legal team…
Several affluent Australian donors have redirected large contributions from the long-standing Liberal-National coalition to Pauline Hanson’s One Nation, backing the party’s hardline immigration and deregulatory agenda. The movement, encouraged by mining billionaire Gina Rinehart, includes seven-figure gifts and private aircraft donations. Analysts …
U.S. President Donald Trump will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in May, marking Trump’s first trip to China in eight years. Since Trump returned to the White House in 2025 the two economic powers have engaged in a series of tariff escalations, reciprocal investigations and targeted export and import controls. The standoff has affected energy sup…
The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit seeking to invalidate Colorado’s 2013 prohibition on large-capacity ammunition magazines that hold more than 15 rounds. The complaint, brought by the DOJ’s civil rights division, argues the ban restricts access to widely owned firearms and therefore violates the Second Amendment; Colorado officials say…
A UK-based press advocacy group reports a sharp rise in violence and legal pressure against journalists in Mexico in 2025, recording one disappearance and seven murders, a jump from four murders in 2024. The organisation also logged 53 physical attacks and a record 153 cases of judicial harassment, with public officials implicated in nearly one-thi…
Senior Cuban officials have sharply criticized a series of U.S. statements they say amount to hints of military action aimed at the island, and they have described those comments as dangerous and constituting an international crime. At the same time, Cuba says an effective U.S. oil blockade has severely curtailed fuel deliveries, contributing to a …
